Carlos Portillo-Quintero, Ph.D.

Professional Summary

I am a biologist with a PhD in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, specializing in the development and application of advanced remote sensing methods for understanding ecosystem structural, functional and compositional dynamics. My current research agenda centers on two interconnected goals: the development of operational, AI-assisted remote sensing monitoring platforms for protected areas—the Parktrends Project—and the investigation of how protected area management systems respond to gradual and abrupt socioeconomic change. These research lines combine methodological innovation, applied conservation science, and community-engaged scholarship. In the classroom, my commitment is to prepare students to think spatially, analyze ecological problems rigorously, and work confidently with modern geospatial tools.

Publications

Ohieari, O., Portillo Quintero, C., Laza, H. (2025). Assessing Changes in Grassland Species Distribution at the Landscape Scale Using Hyperspectral Remote Sensing. Sensors, 25(22), 6821.

Hernandez-Martinez, L., Hernandez-Stefanoni, J., Medel, A., Portillo Quintero, C., Cabada, C., Lim-Vega, C., Dupuy, J. (2025). Challenges and solutions for reducing bias in Forest inventory-based estimates of aboveground biomass in arid zones. European Journal of Forest Research (Preprint).

Hernandez, L., Portillo Quintero, C., Hernandez-Stefanoni, J., Dupuy, J., Medel, A. (2025). Desafíos en la estimación de la biomasa vegetal en zonas áridas: mitos, errores y posibles soluciones. Desde el Herbario(17), 226-231.

Hernandez-Martinez, L., Dupuy, J., Medel, A., Portillo Quintero, C., Hernandez-Stefanoni, J. (2025). Improving aboveground biomass density mapping of arid and semi-arid vegetation by combining GEDI LiDAR, Sentinel-1/2 imagery and field data. Science of Remote Sensing, 11, 100204.

Subedi, M., Portillo Quintero, C. (2025). Quantifying change in urban tree cover in the city of Lubbock, Texas, using LiDAR and NAIP imagery fusion. Science of Remote Sensing, 11, 100240.

Hernandez-Stefanoni, J., Hernandez-Martinez, L., Andres-Mauricio, J., Portillo Quintero, C., Pena-Lara, V., Gonzalez-Munoz, K., Tun-Dzul, F., Gamboa-Blanco, Chacon, G. (2025). Spatial distribution and drivers of aboveground forest biomass in Mexico using GEDI and national forest inventory data. Remote Sens Ecol Conserv.

Portillo Quintero, C. (2025). Aboveground Biomass and Biomass Change Estimates of Tropical Dry Forest Using Aerial and Terrestrial LiDAR. Tropical Dry Forest in the Americas (2nd Edition). CRC.

Portillo Quintero, C. (2025). Resilience of Tropical Dry Forests Management Systems in the Yucatan Peninsula. Tropical Dry Forest in the Americas (2nd Edition). CRC.

Portillo Quintero, C. (2024). Effects of successional age, plot size, and tree size on the relationship between diversity and aboveground biomass in tropical dry forests. Plant Ecology, 225, 803-817.

Portillo Quintero, C. (2024). Efficacy of remote sensing technologies for burrow count estimates of a rare kangaroo rat. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 48(1).

Emert, A. D., Griffis Kyle, K., Portillo Quintero, C., Smith, P. (2024). USEPA CALPUFF validation and dispersion modeling of beef cattle feedlot PM10 and PM2. 5 emissions factors. Atmospheric Environment, 316, 120189.

Subedi, M. R., Portillo Quintero, C., McIntyre, N., Kahl, S., Cox, R., Perry, G., Song, X. (2024). Ensemble machine learning on Fusion of sentinel time series imagery with high-resolution orthoimagery for improved land use land cover mapping. Remote Sensing, 16, 2778. 13. Stuhler, J. R., Portillo Quintero, C., Goetze, J. R., Stevens, R. (2024). Efficacy of remote sensing technologies for estimating abundance of a rare kangaroo rat across its distribution. Bulletin of the Wildlife Society, 48, E1510.

Subedi, M. R., Portillo Quintero, C., Kahl, S., McIntyre, N. E., Cox, R., Perry, G. (2023). Leveraging NAIP imagery for accurate large-area land use/land cover mapping: A case study in central Texas. Photogrammetric Engineering & Remote Sensing, 89, 547-560.

Subedi, M., Portillo Quintero, C., Kahl, S., McIntyre, N., Cox, R., Perry, G. (2023). Leveraging NAIP imagery for accurate large-area land use/land cover mapping: A case study in central Texas. Photogrammetric Engineering & Remote Sensing, 89, 547-560.

Portillo Quintero, C., Hernandez-Stefanoni, J. L., Reyes-Palomeque, G., Dupuy, J. M., Tun-Dzul, F. (2023) Scale dependency of the effects of landscape structure and stand age on species richness and aboveground biomass of tropical dry forests. iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry, 16(4), 234-242.